Time to Smell the Roses by Michael Hoeye
There are days when I love my job, and often those days are when I find a new author to enjoy. I would never have picked up a book by Michael Hoeye, simply because the covers are often childish and the blurbs sound silly. However, this book appeared on my mandated reading list, so I was forced to give it a go. Now I am prepared to admit I was wrong.
This book is the fourth in the Hermux Tantamoq Adventures, so I entered the story in the middle, not always the best place to start. The story is a tale of industrial espionage and its consequences, but dressed up as animal fantasy. Fans of the series will know that the chief detective is a mouse. In this book the main action happens around a family of squirrels, and everyone knows how silly they can be.
The use of animal characters forced the book to maintain its lightness and atmosphere of unreality. As a result, even the dark and dangerous plot developments maintain a sense of fun. Hermux is not afraid to laugh at himself, and the whole subplot about the wedding organisation provides a opportunity for comedy.
This is an ideal book for those children who are beyond the classics of children’t literature, but not yet ready for the angst often found in novels for young adults. This is an important section of the reading public that needs new literature. Thank you Hoeye.
